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The abstracts herein – collected for the 34th Course of the International School of Geophysics, held in
Erice, Italy (“Ettore Majorana” Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture, 25-30 September, 2010) –
focus on geophysical, geological and geochemical methods applied to the planning of the soundest energy
mix in densely populated countries, where the coexistence of different technologies requires unique
underground facilities and resources. In the framework of IEA and EU programmes, where the concepts of
“smart grids” and “smart cities” are prevailing, we rather propose the concept of “smart region” planning the
use of both underground and surface areas in a new social-energetic paradigm of “zero kilometer” life. The
coexistence of geological storage of CO2 and natural gas, geothermics and, possibly, nuclear waste
temporary storage (near surface or geological) is today necessary owing to the progressive decrease of space
and resources.
In this context, the following technologies turn out to be very important: renewables (geothermal
energy), nuclear power, clean coal technologies via CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS), Enhanced Oil Recovery
(EOR), Enhanced Coal Bed Methane (ECBM), non-conventional gas exploitation, and seasonal storage of
natural gas (also for strategic reserves). These technologies have been recently emphasized in Italy by the
Ministry of Economic Development and by the Ministry of the Environment and Territory, as well as by
research institutions such as INGV and CNR.
Key topics addressed during the Course were:
• Geological storage and disposal: assessment of available volume and structures.
• Subsurface geological resources: management of potential conflicts among various technologies.
• Geological site characterization and risk assessment for policy makers and regulators: the role of the
energy industry.
• New high tech frontiers for geothermal power production.
• New concepts in nuclear waste disposal.
• Numerical simulation software for geothermal exploration, geological storage and nuclear waste
disposal.
• Sharing subsurface data coming from oil & gas and geothermal exploration.
• High resolution characterization of shallow aquifers and reservoirs: multi-strata exploitation by different
energy technologies.
• Case histories and natural analogues: “learning by doing” and “acceptable risk” concepts.
The 34th Course of the International School of Geophysics is dedicated to students and young contract
researchers starting their carreers in a period of energetic-environmental global crisis. Although their
scientific contribution is of high quality, they are usually underpaid in public research institutions with
respect to volatile staff of some international organizations who, making use of the results of governmentfunded
research, make final decisions on low-carbon energy technologies.